Why Can’t We Find New Antibiotics?

Video Read time:
Projects: Antibiotic Resistance
Why Can’t We Find New Antibiotics?

This video is hosted by YouTube. In order to view it, you must consent to the use of “Marketing Cookies” by updating your preferences in the Cookie Settings link below. View on YouTube

This video is hosted by YouTube. In order to view it, you must consent to the use of “Marketing Cookies” by updating your preferences in the Cookie Settings link below. View on YouTube

Antibiotics save millions of lives, but bacteria are constantly evolving to beat the drugs we use to fight them. 

Eventually, bacteria may become resistant to every form of antibiotic we have. That’s why finding new antibiotics is so important, but serious scientific barriers stand in the way. 

See the challenges that scientists face in their search for new antibiotics—and what we can do to overcome them.

Learn more about antibiotic resistance here: Antibiotic Resistance Project.

Related Experts
Kathy Talkington
Kathy Talkington Director
Health Programs
America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Article June 13, 2023

37 Scientists Pioneering the Future of Biomedical Research

Quick View
Article June 13, 2023

Biomedical researchers are at the heart of nearly every medical advancement. From cutting-edge cancer treatments to breakthrough discoveries about emerging viruses, these scientists use creativity and ingenuity to explore new horizons in human health and medicine. And for nearly 40 years, The Pew Charitable Trusts has supported more than 1,000 early-career researchers committed to this work.

Podcast August 10, 2018

The Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

Quick View
Podcast August 10, 2018

Nearly a century after Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, bacteria continue to develop the ability to defeat antibiotics. Doctors worldwide are concerned about the spread of superbugs that are resistant to all antibiotics. Host Dan LeDuc visits Fleming’s London lab for some history and talks with Pew’s Allan Coukell about current efforts to reduce unnecessary use of these drugs and encourage development of new ones.

Vials
Vials
Report May 11, 2016

A Scientific Roadmap for Antibiotics

Quick View
Vials
Report May 11, 2016

In recent decades, the discovery and development of new antibiotics have slowed dramatically as scientific barriers to drug discovery, regulatory challenges, and diminishing returns on investment have led major drug companies to scale back or abandon their antibiotic research.

MEDIA CONTACT
Sara Miller Senior Associate, Communications 202.540.6860
RELATED
Topics
Antibiotics
Tags
Superbugs
Projects
Antibiotic Resistance
Experts
Kathy Talkington

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

A man wearing a checkered, collared shirt leans in and touches the shoulder of a man in a blue collared shirt with lights in the background.

Article

September 22, 2023 The Power of Lived Experience in Suicide Prevention
An Aedes aegypti mosquito, characterized by the white-and-black striped markings on its legs, stands against a dark background

Article

August 15, 2023 Pew Scholars Examine the Biology Behind the Mosquito's Bite
A person sitting in front of a computer in an office talks on the telephone and tracks notes on papers on the desk.

Article

July 27, 2023 Opportunities and Challenges Remain for 988 Crisis Lifeline

MORE FROM PEW

A woman and her grandchildren on a sunny afternoon. Courts Can Do More to Help Families Seeking Guardianship
Sunlight streams into the blue waters of a vibrant coral reef. Yellow, black and blue, and orange fish swim near red, green and bright coral. To Save Biodiversity, Community Funds New Plan
Four yellow school buses emit smoke as they travel a road crowded with cars, construction vehicles, and scaffolding. States Race to Win Federal Clean School Bus Grants
A photo illustration of an empty defendant’s chair, indicating that the person did not show for a virtual hearing, and the plaintiff’s lawyer sitting in a chair beside it. The one person faces forward toward an iPad with a gavel. The illustration has a blue background that shows the exterior of a courthouse. Debt Collection Cases Continued to Dominate Civil Dockets
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?